Four Cubs and the Gimp bike go South and East a bit as well. The five should have been six but one of the group had to graciously bow out close to the off. It was a shame Diesel Dave couldn’t join, but other more important duties called.
The remaining five being, JJ, Black Country Pete , Nige, his Brother Jason and myself. As I have mentioned previously we weren’t supposed to be going to the Czech Republic at all, we were supposed to be on a leisurely trip to Brittany. That is until JJ stuck his oar in and decided we were going east. Ah well.
The date was set for the 26 May and we decided (JJ did anyway) that we would sail from Dover to Dunkerque. The first nights stop being in Mons, Belgium. Myself and JJ were to leave work early on the Wed stuff the Cubs in the van get down to BCPs place, impose ourselves on him and his family for the night and set off early the next morning for the South coast.
The trip started so well. Me and JJ get down to Petes in Dudley about 7.45pm. After we park the van in the drive Sir Klipp turns up as arranged to come out for a curry with us. Klipp wasn’t coming on the trip he turned up to bid us farewell and have a night out with us. We had a lift to the Restaurant in Klippy’s Arcadienne, it’s a yellow 2CV van type thing, you may have seen it at Rhayader?
We went round one bend and I swear the two inside wheels left the ground. Klippy casually mentioned that they do roll a bit (understatement of the year) Roll, yea, but not roll over I replied sarcastically.
Klippy kept going on about how good he was for his age look at me neck look hardly any wrinkles look, look. I simply replied that his neck would look better with my hands wrapped around it if he didn’t stop going on
. Klippy changed the subject.JJ had something suitably hot from the curry house. God it was spicy, what goes in must come out as they say. Just hoped I was not around when it did
. We had about 4hrs kip and were on the road for about 4.30am.We were on our way to Fuzz’s house, in Ashford Kent, where we were to meet Nige and Jason and leave the vehicles there. Then it would be a short hop down from Ashford to Dover to catch the 12.00pm ferry for Dunkerque.
The mounts for this trip were JJ’s 1965 Cub (it’s a C102 or something, I always forget) with an Innova 125 engine fitted, no oil cooler. Mine is a 12v Cub with a Lifan 110 4 speed semi auto with an EBay special oil cooler fitted, Petes is a Jailing Cub copy ( The ‘Gimp’ Bike ) with a Lifan 125 4 speed manual clutch and oil cooler. Finally Nige and Jason were on standard 12v 3 speed Cubs. The only mods being an oil cooler fitted to each, oh and a Kamikaze riding style. I have to say it was with some trepidation that I was taking the Lifan on such a long trip. I had run the engine in carefully and it had covered a grand total of 1011 mls and had run perfectly…up to now?? Would it last? We had all experimented with different gearing and I had settled on 16t front and a 38t rear. I took a 17t as a spare with me just in case. I never used it. As a precaution my tyres and tubes had been replaced and a new chain as well as the sprockets. All of us had given the bikes a thorough service. Yea my arse, as you will find out later
.We made good time down to Fuzz and Sues place; we got there before Nige and Jason. Sue sorted out a brew and bacon butties all around
and we were soon ready for the 30ml spin down to Dover. Un packing At Fuzz and Sues
Fuzz and Sue led on their Cubs. The weather was a bit grim it kept raining and blowing a gale. Not the best of starts.
We said goodbye to Fuzz and Sue at the port, they were a bit fed up that they were not joining us like the last two years. With the wind, the Channel was quite rough and choppy.
On The Docks Waiting To Board
I Said It Was Rough
It’s a two hour crossing to Dunkerque which passed really quickly we were all proper up for the trip and itching to get going.
Our first campsite was to be in Mons, Belgium. JJ had given me the address and I had Google mapped it. It was right in the centre of town? Sort of on the inner ring road? Strange! At Dunkerque Nige and Jason were going to call further up the coast in Belgium for tobacco and then head south to Mons and meet us at the campsite. No problem, JJ had the directions and off Pete, me and JJ went. The wind was at gale force we were being blown all over the place and there were great dust clouds blowing over the very flat landscape around the port area
. We came to the second roundabout and all signage disappeared, great, lost within the first 2 mls 
. Generally the signs abroad are abysmal; it is so easy to get lost. We must have gone round in circles for at least an hour. We were vaguely heading in the right direction but making no progress whatsoever. We could still see the docks where we had landed. Very frustrating. We eventually found the right road the E42 and were beginning to make progress. I was concerned about the Lifan engine and whether it would hold out. I had only done a few fast, short runs with the Lifan and I was in unknown territory as we were bowling along at approx. 47mph. Then, just when we are on a quick three lane section of the E42 all my worst nightmares came to haunt me. There was this awful clattering noise coming from the engine 
. Oh f*** the cranks let go 
, it sounded that bad. Even Pete who was behind me could hear it. I pulled over pressed the gear pedal and blipped the throttle. Strange, the noise is still there but not in time with the engine? Then it dawned on me what had happened. I whipped the gear pedal off then the chain case. Sure enough the two bolts holding the front sprocket on were hanging out. What a shocking lack of care. I have now sacked myself as the bikes chief mucanik. Pillock . Within ten minutes we were back on our way, with me even more paranoid about the thing blowing up than I was before.This part of the journey is only about 85-90mls and we eventually found ourselves on the outskirts of Mons, albeit a little later than we would have liked, but we were there. Our plan was to head for the town centre and then try to pick up the ring road and find the campsite. Within about 15 minutes we had found the site which adjoined a town centre park. The reception was closed but a note said find a pitch and pay in the morning. The site and park was like a little oasis in the middle of the busy and I have to say, quite grand, town centre
Mons Campsite
. Within half an hour Nige and Jason had joined us and Nige had switched on his I phone and Herb Alpert was wafting across the campsite shortly followed by Matt Munro
.They chose to cook and eat (for eat, read drink) at the campsite. Myself, JJ and Pete wanted to sample Mons and what it had to offer. We wandered towards the town centre and found a very cosy and hospitable bar, where we sampled the local beers. We then ambled a bit further to find a restaurant where JJ took the plunge and ordered snails with mushrooms
. Mysel f and Pete chose the safer option of a mixed grill. I wish I had been brave enough to of ordered the snails, as it looked and smelled fantastic. JJ really enjoyed it. The food was very reasonably priced all the meals were about £5.50 each. Proper good value. We wandered back to the site which was less than half a mile away and had a fitful sleep. Petes quote of the day ‘ Warrr , thems batter munkees them am’. Please don’t ask. Day 2
Where are we off to today then JJ. Today we will be mostly going to Cochem, Germany.
The Cubs Devour Four countries in one day!! No really
.We all awoke about the same sort of time 6.30 or so in the morning. Nige and Jason looked a bit bleary eyed. I wonder why? 50/50 phone a friend? No I thought not, easy really.
Jasons And Niges Meal From The Night Before
We got our kit together in good time, had a drink and were ready to get going. Petes exhaust had lost a nut and was blowing slightly so I delved into my tool kit and fitted two nuts, one as a locking nut. Sorted.
We decided to have a walk into the town and have a look around in the daylight. Mons is a nice place; sort of old and quaint but with certain grandeur about it.
Mons
I fancied some fresh croissants, so JJ popped into a bread shop. He was in there ages so I went in to see what was going on. I know he won’t mind me saying but his French aint that good. He knows about 3 words, max, and he gets these the wrong way around. Anyway I get into the shop with him and the young girl behind the counter is explaining what he can use the vol au vont cases he has bought, for. I casually ask why he has bought them? These, he says with a big grin on his face. They are like pastry cases but they are full of chicken and mushroom filling. No Jon, they are full of nothing, you put your own filling in, she was just explaining what you could do with them. So basically for breakfast that morning we had some dry puff pastry. Well done JJ
. Oh and on the way out he shouts out bonjour..I think that should be au revoir JJ. Poor lad was flustered though.Just got to pay for camping and then off we go. We saunter into the reception all pay up, 8 euros and are ready to head for Cochem alongside the Mosselle River, Germany. All the bikes are clustered together in the car park outside. All the bikes are kicked over and started all except JJ’s. There was just no resistance on the kick start at all. He tried to kick it over slow to feel the pawl catching, nothing, kicked it over fast nothing. Try bump starting it Jon. Nothing no resistance. What the hell was wrong with the bike. JJ was sweating with a very puzzled look on his face. What the f*** is wrong with this bike, he was getting annoyed
. As it happens absolutely nothing was wrong with it at all. The bike had been running all the time. He never switched it off when he paid for the camping. We were all relieved. We took the p*** mercilessly, of course, like you do . Mileage for the first day was only 142mlsCochem here we come. We kept mainly to the A roads with JJ leading us through the flat lands of Belgium towards the Luxembourg border. The weather was ok but not really hot the scenery was fantastic and got even better as we crossed into Luxembourg. We made a few stops to check our whereabouts and have a quick drink. Obviously there are no border crossings as such in Europe any more but you soon realise when you are in a different country. The houses are slightly different the countryside begins to alter and then you start checking the number plates of the cars. We didn’t stop in Luxembourg as we had a fair distance to cover that day and our plan was to get as many miles under our belts as early as possible whilst we were still fresh and not too tired, so we weren’t chasing the clock later on regarding campsites etc. A plan which mostly worked. We swung south and into France again then took a left to head for Germany. We hit the German border around lunchtime or so. We started to climb into the mountains up and up. The roads were really good, well surfaced with few potholes. We finally reached to summit. There’s only one way to go now and that’s down. JJ raised a fist saluting the road that lay before us
. What an exhilarating road. Jon was leading me second and the others behind. It was just a mass of fast switchback bends ideal for Cub speeds. Only one problem……..Brake fade. In our country I’ve not really had much of a problem, but now the front brake lever was coming back to the bars and retardation was a bit of an issue. I came round one blind bend and JJ had anchored up to ask for directions off the only other vehicle on the road. The car and JJ were in the middle of the road. Brakes on, er pull a bit harder, no, try pulling a bit harder. I sailed past by about 10mtrs or so. Pete did exactly the same . The German bloke was dead enthusiastic. He was really chuffed to see us all and was correct in the assumption that we were puddled. He put us vaguely on the right road and said he had planned a 1,000k trip with six of his mates all on seventies Kreidler mopeds, ace. Before he left he asked for a group photo, we duly obliged. At this stage all the bikes were running well, but Pete had an issue with loose spokes on the front wheel and it was running out of true. In fact in was like riding CoCo the Clowns bike. We struggled with directions a few times due to the poor signage and the stops to consult maps ate into our time. It seemed that Cochem may be out of the question but we wanted to get as close as possible. We finally found the Mosselle River. Spectacular scenery and roads. The valley is very steep and narrow and it is completely covered in vine yards. Where some of the vines grow is ridiculous. Right on the edges of the mountain side on small, as in about 4ft wide terraces. Utter madness. The names of the vine yards are proudly displayed on the mountainsides. The road and rail track run alongside the river and some of the freight trains are enormous. I counted one with fifty carriages. We sped along the river side only slowing for the villages. We realised late afternoon that we would not be reaching Cochem in time . We stopped at the first campsite we came to and set up the tents right next to the Mosselle.By Gum It Was Nice
Vine Yards On The Hillside
The weather had picked up a bit but it could not be described as hot. Not long after some Dutch guys pull up next to us they were on a long weekend away from work. They also thought we were puddled
. We had a good natter to them as there English was very good. Chicken curry for tea that night. Nige made him and Jason some seven course banquet with foie gras, followed by roast Buzzard and grilled red peppers etc. A slight exaggeration, but not by much. Nige is king of the condiments and could teach them hairy biker blokes a trick or two. I don’t know how he stays so thin . We fed the ducks and drank too much, again. Myself and Pete hit the sack..no, no, no not the same sack , whilst Jason, JJ and Nige went to worry the locals in the small onsite bar. That night I half froze to death in the tent. God it was cold. Mileage covered on the second day was 234mlsDay3
Ok team leader JJ where are we off to today. Today we will mostly be going to Erfurt. Ace. Where’s that then. Ah Germany still.
With the mileage we had to cover we elected for a stint on the Autobahn that day as we had a fair few miles to cover, like every other day. We proceeded East on the A roads to begin over the mountains again to the town of Boppard on the Rhine. The Mosselle was big, the Rhine even more so. We lost JJ in Boppard, it was my fault. I just didn’t follow him down one back street in the town. We all stopped and ten minutes later Jon re-joined us with his temper a little frayed. This time we all sheepishly followed him. We needed to cross the Rhine but bridges were few and far between. Jon had found a ferry crossing.
Waiting For The Boppard Ferry
Looking Back At Boppard Whilst On The Ferry
Top man. Once over, I think it cost two Euros? We pulled away and turned right at the far bank heading for the village of Larch, approx. twenty miles away, where we were going to go up and into the mountains again. Niges and Jasons standard Cubs were coping really well. Nige who had prepped both bikes had sorted out the luggage so as to keep the bike as narrow as possible to help with cutting down on the wind resistance. With the extra power of the Lifan and JJ’s Innova engine it was inevitable that when going uphill we pulled away from them. On one particular ascent me and JJ get to the top of the mountain first and are waiting for the others to turn up. Jon decides to put his bike onto the centre stand. The only problem was the bike was still in gear. So as he pulled back on the bars he twisted the throttle
. This sent JJ sprawling into the road on all fours and the bike pirouetted around on its foot peg like a dying fly. JJ jumped up unhurt and hauled the bike up. Luckily there was no one around to witness his embarrassment . I said absolutely nothing as I have done a similar thing and ripped the rear mud guard off the bike. One good thing was his bike didn’t hit my new panniers 
. We Stopped For Fresh Strawberries
Pete And JJ Argued Over Who Should Have The Biggest Strawberry. JJ Broke Petes Nose the Knocked out JJ
Later at the campsite JJ owned up to the incident. To claw back some time we jumped on the Autobahn for a quick 130mls stint. I was falling asleep at one point, so we pulled into a rest area and I had a ten minute kip. The Autobahn is bit boring but we did see some nice cars most notable a black Mercedes Gullwing, nice. . That afternoon, same as every other afternoon, Nige and JJ consulted the European campsite book (invaluable) they had brought with them and off we headed up the tight nadgery mountain roads to our campsite. Twenty minutes later, Hmm, wrong way, back down again and a little further to Erfurt where we stopped in a small village to pick up some provisions (alcohol mainly).
Nige And Jason Stock Up On Food For The Night
I’m making this trip sound like one long piss up. It wasn’t like that, honest. The Camp book was consulted again and we were soon at the Paulfeld campsite near Leinatal.
Paulfeld Campsite/Gimp Bike Garage
When we pulled up Petes bike was making a right racket
. Had he had lost the nuts off the exhaust flange? Tents up, food on the go drinks opened. Like every other night we sat around eating, drinking, taking the piss and generally having a good laugh. JJ asked if any of us had seen that animal at the side of the Autobahn, grazing? No came the reply. It sort of looked like a Deer but maybe it was a Moose. They don’t have Moose in Germany JJ. Oh, says JJ perhaps it was a Pig with a long face then. Pete looks up and as dry as you like, said in his Dudley/Brum accent ,‘Yow mean yow sore a miserable pig at the soid of the mawterway. Laugh. We couldn’t catch our breath for ten minutes.The bloke in the adjacent caravan was watching the Champions League final and kept us informed with a running commentary on the scores. I think only one of us has any interest in football and certainly not MUFC. Nice bloke though. In the morning I sorted out the front wheel
, first tightening most of the spokes and trueing the wheel up as best I could. I then sorted the exhaust problem.
In Mons I had picked up some copper wire in the street thinking that it may come in handy, it did. The exhaust stud had snapped off (not the one I did) and the bolt I then put in was only held in by two threads as the broken stud was still inside the head. I wrapped the copper wire around to try to give it more support
.Bodge Of The Trip
This bodge lasted a further two days and nearly 600mls. Miles covered on the third day was 254mls. Petes quote of the day, ‘Warrr me sack feels and looks lark a crumpled corduroy cap’
Day 4, Where are we off to today then JJ. Today we will be mostly going to Colditz Castle and The Czech Republic. Ooh goody. Apart from having to sit on the bikes seat again.
Pete was worried his exhaust may drop off at any time so we were all on the lookout for some suitable wire to wrap around the system to keep it in place. We headed East and North into the former East Germany. We kept mainly to the A roads . We stopped for a drink and I managed to cut some wire from a fence. I just hope the farmer has got all his sheep back
. On we trundled, my nervousness about the Lifan engine was now somewhat in the back of my mind. I was however paranoid about every change in engine note or indeed strange vibrations when the road surfaces changed.We Ask This Chap For Directions, Nice Jawa 350
JJ had said it was not far to go now before Colditz. The landscape was relatively flat and I was expecting it to be a lot more hilly/mountainous as I imagined the castle to be high in the hills. A bit like that castle in the film ‘Where Eagle Dare’. Shows what I know. Bugger all….again
. We came across a young lad on an old but restored MZ Simson moped 
. It looked pretty cool. We dropped into the town of Colditz and there up on our left was the famous castle. I have to say it sent a tingle down my spine. 
We negotiated our way up to tiny car park right against the castle walls.
View Of The Castle From Our Carpark
It was by now very hot, it was mid-day. Was it open. Yes of course it was. We had a bite to eat and it was time to explore the castle museum and what it had to offer.
Entrance To Colditz Castle Note The Trabant Parked Outside
When we got inside the entrance after the obligatory photos, one of the tour guides kindly let us put our gear in a side room so we didn’t have to lug it around. We wanted to opt for the seven Euro guided tour but it wasn’t happening for another hour or so and we still had plenty of miles to do. So we went for the bog standard museum which was very interesting. What the prisoners made and constructed was ingenious. The uniforms were a perfect match as were the insignia, badges and fake guns and holsters. The item that impressed me the most was the lathe made out of a wind up record player. How anyone got out I’ll never know. Then to get back home was unbelievable. They would obviously have to cover a similar distance as to we had already done, it really brought it home to you what they achieved.
Inside The Castle Walls
Pete And JJ Make Their Own Bid For Freedom, This Image Has Not Been Photo Shopped. We Killed Ourselves Laughing At This
All too soon it was time to make tracks. We got talking to one of the tour guides as she took an interest as to where we were from and the bikes we used. She didn’t understand what a Cub was so we asked her to follow us to proudly show off our steeds. Right outside the entrance to the castle she pointed to her car, a Trabant and she casually mentioned she had a Swalbe scooter at home as well., cool The one thing JJ did not pick up on and God knows how, but she had hairy East German armpits . He was pig sick for the rest of the holiday having missed out
. One more thing, reference our visit to Colditz. The guide mentioned that we had only just missed David Jason , AKA Del Boy who was there an hour or so before us doing a documentary. Bugger. JJ had his ‘Only Fools and Horses’ T shirt in his bag as well. It would have been cool to of met him. Time was pressing on and we had to get to Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic which was quite a way South and East of us. We fuelled up, the long range tanks we all had fitted being a Godsend. We didn’t have to refuel till about 230mls or so. The further East you went in East Germany the worse the roads became. Obviously the money from the West was taking its time getting there. We were leaving the major towns behind us and the landscape changed to fields and forests. Then began the climb to the Czech border. It went on for miles there was hardly any traffic there was the odd sports bike and they were all heading our way, like they had been playing in the mountains of the Czech Republic. After literally miles of climbing we stopped at the deserted Czech border for a photo opportunity. The Czech Border
Then it was all downhill into Karlovy Vary near to where we would spend the night. The first village inside the Czech Republic looked like it was the place time had forgotten. It looked like something out of the 1940’s and I think that was the last time any of the buildings had seen a lack of paint. A stark contrast, even to the not so affluent East Germany. We stopped so everyone could catch up and in all honesty were glad to get going again. After another 20mls or so we hit Karlovy Vary. We missed the centre of the city as the road we needed skirted us around. We had a couple of quick stops to consult the map and then off following the Ohre River to the village of Radosov about ten miles away. We saw the campsite sign, just, did a U turn and up the hill side through a tiny village up the dirt track and there was the camp site. Locked. No one was in. The grass was cut but it was obvious it was closed. Pete remarked that he didn’t fancy staying there anyway as the village we had passed through ‘looked like a right pikey village’. He was right
. Back down the hill and further along the river and further and further. Jon who was leading decided to stop and ask an old couple who were leaning over their fence. I swerved around Jon, Jason anchored up and stopped. Pete didn’t. Smack straight into the back of Jason . No real harm done. Well Not Too Much Harm
It made the old couples day they pissed themselves laughing. As it happens Jon had stopped about 100mtrs from the campsite entrance. We trundled onto the small car park and into the reception cum bar cum restaurant cum taxidermist. There were dead animals everywhere
.
We were knackered. As soon as we got in there this bloke heard us talking English and then he’s right in our faces speaking Czech and Spanish? What the f*** is going here, it was quite intimidating
. Foreign country in the middle of nowhere. It was like something out of Deliverance, I expected him to pick up a banjo at any second. There was a young girl behind the bar who luckily spoke a bit of English. Right luv two questions. Can we camp here tonight? Yes. Is the bar open? Yes. Five beers please. I paid with the Czech money I had taken. How much?? About £5.20 for five pints and it tasted good. The strange local seemed to melt away, thank God, we didn’t any more of his type coming round. We elected not to cook that night but to eat in the bar. With all that cheap beer it would be rude not to.Moe Dead Animals, Lets Hope We Would Not Join Them
We wanted an early start the next morning. No chance. Too many thick heads.
Czech Campsite
Pete Rues The Day He Bought The Jailing
We spent part of the morning talking to the campsite owner. Basically we were in hunting territory. Deer, wolves, wild Boar, you name it. It was easy to understand. Even before we entered the Czech Republic it had been heavily forested, even more so now, over the border. The chap also told us to visit the old part of the City of Karlovy Vary. As we would not be disappointed. He also casually mentioned that the Russian mafia keep their families in Karlovy Vary, out of harms way. Karlovy does have an airport, however planes only fly to Moscow and back. We’re gonna get shot!
Miles covered 246Day 6 Where are we going today then JJ. F*** knows it’s late and I’ve got a hangover. Oh
We packed our gear and loaded it onto the bikes the owner took the obligatory photos of the five mad Britishers. We followed the river back to Karlovy Vary then got split up. Oops. I somehow managed to go down a one way street the wrong way Doh
. After about half an hour we all found each other and made our way to the old part of the city as instructed. It was much, much nicer than I expected. Myself and Pete elected to stay with the bikes whilst Jason, Nige and Jon went to explore. Apparently the main Hotel in the city has been used for the location for scenes in various films, the most notable being the James Bond film, Casino Royale. Karlovy is a spa town, there are various temperature springs which you can drink from, for medicinal purposes. This goes some way to explaining why me and Pete kept seeing people walking around with China mugs. Honestly. Pete and I were boiling hot so we stripped off a much as possible and the desecrated the City centre fountain. I just wish I could have put my backside in as well .Pete Desicrates the Town Centre Fountain
Karlovy Centre
After an hour or so the other lads re-appeared and it was time to hit the road. Our original plan was to get to Berchtesgarten right in the south of Germany. This we knew, was out of the question, it was just too far, even for us to attempt, it was already well past midday. So we decided to just go with the flow. Get as far south and west as we could and just enjoy the scenery and roads and find a campsite when we could. To get out of Karlovy was another massive mountain climb. Brilliant, mainly well surfaced roads that were pretty much deserted. There’s nowt in Czech but fields and forests with the odd small town or village stuck in the middle of nowhere.
Typical Czech Countryside
You really got a sense of the country being quite prosperous a hundred or so years ago. But having been under the cosh of communist rule with the dull grey modern buildings it had been in decline for decades. However the new shoots of capitalism were beginning to poke through and you got the feeling that the country was getting back on its feet. As an aside, the Czech women were fit. Ooh err where was I. Ah yes on the mountain roads to Mariaske Lazne. This is where Jason came off
. Come to think of it I nearly did as well. The climb was up through mountainous forest roads full of hairpin bends. One particular right hander nearly caught me out, cars had been cutting the corner and thrown gravel onto the inside track. My front wheel let go as it rolled across the top of the tiny stones. Luckily after about six inches of sideways movement the tyre gripped again and I unclenched my buttocks and carried on. Jason,on a different bend to me, was not so lucky. He was only going about ten miles an hour and the bike came to rest on top of him. Nige pissed himself laughing as Jason was shouting ‘get the bike off me, get the bike off me’. That’s brotherly love for you. It suddenly hit home to me just how far we were from home and if someone were to breakdown here, the middle of nowhere, we would have a real problem. I listened a bit more intently to the sound coming from the Lifan, and wondered if I should slow down a little . As an aside our cruising speeds were between 43-47mph so it certainly wasn’t thrashing the engines. On the second day I put in about 100ml of engine oil into the Lifan. After that it never used a drop.We trundled on, time to go down hill now, yeeha . Brace yourselves boys, here were go. Oh s*** no we don’t, every series of bends we come to were cobbled and they shone like glass, with the sun reflecting off them. I don’t think any of us have gone so slow round bends before
. We had a break in a tiny village and had a small beer each. This roadside bar was also full of dead animals. Get the banjo out again lads. On we pressed through the large city of Klotovy then headed west into the Bavarian forests near Deggendorf and over into Germany. Time to consult the camp book. Petes exhaust was blowing again and his front brake cable had snapped. Bloody Gimp bike . We found a fantastic little campsite tucked away in the hills near Nauhausen. Basically it was a working farm with enough pitches for about twenty tents or caravans. Loveley Site Near Nauhausen, See The Cows In The Background?
The brand new shower and toilet block were pristine, the best of the whole trip. It’s funny but you travel all that distance and meet up with some who has English friends 10mls from where you live.
JJ Talks To His New Dutch Mate, Nice Bloke
The Dutch guy brought us all a beer over. Top bloke and he and his wife spoke very good English. JJ had a good natter to him.
Pete Fits A New Brake Cable
I didn’t freeze that night in fact I was quite warm. Total mileage for the day 215
Day 6 Where are we off to today then JJ. Today we will mostly be going to Neuschwanstein castle and Austria.
We packed our gear bathed in glorious sunshine, boy was it hot. We waived goodbye to our new Dutch friends and hit the road once more. After a quick consultation regarding the route we all decided the Autobahn was the best idea. We had a good solid two hours then pulled over into one of the many rest areas. We had all brought oil with us for an oil change and decided this would be an ideal place to do it. Basically it was an environmental disaster. There was oil everywhere by the time we had finished. I’m surprised the environment agency didn’t turn up. As I have previously mentioned all the Cubs were running oil coolers. Can I just say all oil coolers are not the same. Some are much more efficient than others. Mine, Petes and Niges seemed to be having the desired effect. All our oils were relatively clean. Jasons oil came out in lumps it had got so hot. I felt sorry for the poor engine. He had complained a bit back that that the gear change was a bit iffy. I’m not surprised, I could have sworn I saw 2nd gear dribble through the drain hole
.Jason Mops Up The Oil From The Exxon Valdiz Disaster
JJ and Pete Let It All Hang Out, What Was That About The British Abroad?
Once sorted we were keen to get moving again as the sun was high in the sky and starting to melt us in our bike gear. We checked how much fuel we had and reckoned another hour on the Autobahn and we would need to come off and onto the back roads and find a fuel station. The Autobahns are very fast roads but the Germans certainly know how to use them. As soon as they pass someone they pull back in to the nearside lane. There are no middle lane hoggers in Germany. This allows the traffic to flow freely. Although the Cubs were the slowest thing on the road I never felt intimidated of frightened. Off we turned. B****** wrong turn, quick detour back on the Autobahn for another twenty minutes then off at the right place. Time to refuel. We carry on towards Neuschwanstein castle in the Bavarian mountains. Hmm those clouds look ominous and were heading straight for them
. Hmm it’s getting colder as well. Half an hour later we are in a thunder storm of monsoon proportions . Stop, wet gear on, sod this. We abandon the bikes and take refuge in a bus shelter. Pete Legs It For The Shelter
Boy Did It Rain
Ten minutes later a rev and go scooter pulls up by our bikes this guy runs across the road to join us out of the rain and honest to god we thought it was Newt coming joining us in the bus shelter. Me and Nige peered into his helmet then did a double take
. German Newt Joins Us In The Shelter
I never thought we were going to get going again we must have been in the shelter for a good half hour before dare venture out. We braced ourselves, ran for the bikes and sped off in the vague direction of the castle. It was still raining. In fact it never let up raining on and off for the rest of the day. We reached the outskirts of Fussen a little damp hungry and tired. We crossed the river which was swollen by the rains and it was a strange iridescent greeny grey colour. Obviously the colour was due to the debris washed off the Bavarian alps. We passed through Fussen on towards the castle. This castle is obviously big business for the local area ther were car parks visitor centres etc . We parked on the ‘bike’ car park. The only other bikes on there were about ten or so brand new BMWs with consecutive number plates.
Uber BMWs
Uber Cubs
They must have been factory bikes. It was still cold and wet. We ummed and arred as to whether we fancied going up to the castle or not. We looked at the practicalities of it. Nowhere to safely put our gear it looked like it was going to be expensive and it would take ages to get to it and back again. We all decided to give it a miss.
Yon Impressive German Castle
Just as we are about to head for Austria a car pulls up with this German guy waving and putting his thumbs up. Out comes the camera, he points at the BMWs keine (no) points at our Cubs, ja, ja. Off he drives well happy. Typical reaction of the whole holiday really
. I’ve used the word mountains a lot in this write up and there’s some more coming up. The Bavarian/Austrian alps. The weather gets worse, not only is it raining but it’s very cold as well, such a contrast from the early morning. We head for the small town of Reutte. We find the local Lidl to stock up on provisions (drink) and travel up and down the main street trying to get our bearings. We find the campsite just on the edge of town. The site owner looks uncertain as to whether he is going to let us stay or not. Would you? Anyway he warms to the proposition and thankfully the rain has abated. We set up the tents as soon as possible before it starts again. Dull Cold Wet and Miserable Austrian Campsite
We cook some food then head for the camp bar. This really is begging to sound like a European piss up. We are the only ones in there and once again relive the stories and experiences of the day. Petes exhaust was noisy again that day. Damn shoddy preparation, that’s what I say. It was freezing cold and it threw it down for most of the night. I awoke about 2.00am dithering I just couldn’t get warm I had a feel about the tent and could not fell any wet patches. I drifted in and out of an uncomfortable nights sleep until day break. God I was miserable. Once we were all awake and up we began the daily ritual of packing away.
Pete In His Usual Position
We never spoke much whilst we did this, as we concentrated on packing everything away as neatly as possible. Petes tent had leaked quite badly, he had a deep and shallow end inside his tent
. Somehow most of his kit had missed the water. Total miles covered 184mlsDay 7 where are we off to today then JJ. Today we will mostly be going to Nancy, France. Except I’m not leading, you are. Ooh err ok.
Of we went down the very long twisting valley towards Lake Konstanz some seventy miles away. We had put our wet weather gear on in an attempt to keep dry and warm, it was very, very, cold. The low cloud from the day before had lifted slightly and you could take in the views. Austria is breathtakingly beautiful, just awesome.
Doesn't Quite Capture Just How Spectacular It Was
We scuttled along the valley floor passing through one picture postcard village after another. One thing we all noticed and remarked on was the amount of firewood stored outside all the houses of all the countries we passed through. You never see that in this country, probably because there are hardly any trees. But wood in all its forms was everywhere in Europe. We had a couple of stops, mainly to try and get warm and were on our way again. I was willing the sun to break through the cloud. No chance, we would need to be out of the mountains for that to happen. We started to climb out of the valley, one more mountain range to go over before Lake Konstanz. Up we go again. No real dramas this time just a long haul up. We did go through a couple of longish tunnels 1-1.5k. Then it was time for the descent. The road was fascinating at one point they ran out of suitable terrain to build a road on, so they made one on stilts clinging to the mountainside. It was weird and grand at the same time. One final tunnel 5k long as we get out through the other side we pull over for a breather and a quick snack. As we are standing there next to the road we here this metallic tinkle then clunk. We all look down and part of the Gimp bikws front rack has fallen off of it own volition. We couldn’t help but laugh Pete bit his lip and picked the piece up and put it into his bag with the other bits that had either parted company with his bike or broken. We thought he may just get back to England with a frame and an engine, possibly. Now we could have skirted into Switzerland to add another country to our list but decided to go the slightly faster route around the northern shores of Lake Konstanz. We were on the A31 heading for Freidrichshafen the area being more densely populated than earlier in the day. We stopped and fuelled up consulted the maps and again realised that Nancy would be too far to reach that day. We did however want to get as close as possible otherwise the next day would be a massive ask. I was still leading and we were bowling along a section of dual carriage way still on the A31. I follow the direction at the next turn off and then realise that I think the others have missed my turn and carried straight on. I pull over and wait. Nothing. I go a little further and wait again. Nothing. It now dawns on me that I am now alone on a Chinese engined Cub in southern Germany
. I consulted my map and head off. I then lost the A31 and found myself on some deserted back road, lost. By luck rather than judgement I found my way back onto the A31. I reasoned that with my detour, whatever roads the other lads had taken they would be in front of me. I was heading for Nancy again and the next city was Frieburg. Ok get through Frieburg and then give the others a call. No need, as I was coming into Frieburg I noticed them parked up on a petrol forecourt . They had only been stopped for five or so minutes. We looked at the maps and decided to head for Nancy still as we had made good time. As we are approaching the town of Colmar, France Pete says his bike is making a noise from the rear wheel. Under statement of the trip so far. There was a right clack, clacking noise. It needed investigation. We pulled on the nearest supermarket car park. Myself and Pete took the chain case off and had a look. At first I thought it was a chain link that had seized. We took the back wheel off and there it was a collapsed rear wheel bearing . You couldn’t turn it with your fingers. OK lets not panic just yet . With the aid of WD40 and a strong magnet attached to a screwdriver blade we managed to get most of the swarf out. It was a mess. It would now just turn by hand. Nige produced some grease and we packed as much as we could into what was left of the bearing. It felt proper rough. Campsite book out yet again. Luckily we were only a couple of miles from the town of Colmar. On the way into town we spotted a Kawasaki dealer. I wonder if they had any bearings? The bloke behind the counter was about as much use a chocolate fire guard. He spoke no English I speak hardly any French. He was not interested one iota. I did manage to get him to scribble down the road where the Honda dealer was. We carried onto the campsite. It was now late ish and the reception was closed. However there was a note saying late comers could camp adjacent to the reception. There was only ourselves and two others camped, by ten o clock it resembled a pikey camp. There were vans and motorhomes everywhere jam packed in. That night Nige cooked goulash, Pete did an Ady and had noodles and JJ threw his meal on the floor . Miles covered that day 207mlsDay 8 I know where we are going today JJ, mostly Berny Riviere, Compienne region, north east of Paris.
In the Morning we found out that it was a national bank holiday in France. JJ and I tried to find the Honda dealer, we couldn’t. Everywhere was closed and there was hardly anybody on the streets, Colmar was like a ghost town. I rang Fuzz back in England and told him of our plight. Two bearing would be sent out that day first class. Top man. This cheered us all up a bit. Even Pete. What to do now? Should we stay or should we go? Pete agreed he would be ok with the bearings coming and he would be fine and he had breakdown insurance if all else failed. It was with a heavy heart we left him behind
. I do regret leaving him and if something similar should happen on another trip I will stay behind. The rest of us also had a big day ahead, 280mls in fact to get to Berny Riviere near Compienne, a campsite we had stayed at twice on previous trips. Only one more mountain range to conquer then it’s the low lands of France. All the fuel station were closed and everything else for that matter. Twenty miles into the slog we found a self serve station that took credit cards and fuelled up. The weather was glorious. We kept off the Motorways and headed on up via the A roads. We were all thinking of Pete. On a dual carriage way section about ten sports bikes pulled along side shouted waved then hit the gas. The noise was incredible it sounded ace as the disappeared into the distance. I think most of us were on auto pilot we were all tired. At another fuel stop we got taking to a couple of English guys who were on their way to a climbing holiday. One of them had a massive ice pick sticking out of his ruck sack. Nice bikes as well a Ducati and Moto Guzzi. They also thought we were mental. It’s funny how many people said that to us?? We had made good time and arrived at the campsite around 7.00pm. We booked in and found our way to our usual pitches, on the island next to the river. No way ware we cooking tonight. The massive site has full facilities, restaurants, bars swimming pools you name it. I was surprised how busy the site was. On previous visits it had been relatively quiet, now it was buzzing with activity. You’ll never guess what we had a drink that night, what a surprise . Miles covered that day 263mlsDay 9
In the morning we all got up early, had a leisurely breakfast and started to get ready. Nige and Jason were on the road first, they said they would meet us at the Dunkerque. An hour later me and Jon hit the road, electing for the quicker route up the motorway. The problem with the last day is that you know the adventure is almost over and there is a realisation that work etc looms. The motorway journey was uneventful but boring we only had one stop and keeping awake was hard at times. Once off the motorway I woke up and was ok after that. The Ferry from Dunkerque was at 4.00pm. We made the outskirts of the town by 3.00pm. I was low on fuel. We followed the signs for the ferry which then disappeared. We were lost. I always thought of Dunkerque as being like Calais. That being it had a central port. No chance there wer port signs everwhere pointing in all directions. It was just a sprawling mass along the coast. Fifteen minutes before the ferry leaves and we are still lost. We pull into a small village and there’s a young lad on a rev and go scooter. Luckily, rather than tel us where the ferry port is he shows us. Good lad. But it’s too late we miss the ferry by two cars. B*******
. As we say goodbye to the ferry I get a text off Nige asking us to give them a wave. Welsh *&^%^&*(*^. We get to Fuzz’s house back in Ashford about 8.00pm. We enjoy a fish supper with them then load up the van and head off home. I got in the house at 3.45am, shattered. What a fantastic trip with fantastic people utterly brilliant. Total miles covered that day 194mls, plus another 262 in the van. Grand total 456mlsWell what happened to Pete? He managed to get a bearing the next day from a bearing factor in Colmar. He made it as far as Nancy where upon his other rear bearing collapsed. He managed to get recovered to a Honda dealer in Nancy, who had no bearings. Left his bike there, the breakdown cover then got him a hire car sorted so he could get to Calais, they sorted a ticket for him as a foot passenger. Then a hire car was arranged for him in Calais and he was home about 30hrs after me and JJ. Oh one more thing to add insult to injury, he stood on some broken glass waiting for the recovery truck and cut his toe open. The bike is still in France and he is awaiting an outcome as to how he can get it back. Both the bearings that failed were new ones purchased off Ebay just for the trip. Rule number one, don’t buy pikey bearings off Ebay, EVER. Last thing Lifan engines? I never doubted for one minute it would not get me round half of Europe.
Total ridden on the bikes 1,939 glorious miles
Bogger